NONIE MIYAZAKI'S LASTING IMPACT

As far as volunteers go, you couldn’t find many more willing, valuable and experienced than Nonie Miyazaki. The same can be said of her entire life and dedication to her family.

The Merritt-based mother/grandmother/wife/volunteer was a most valuable asset to BC Hockey. Miyazaki left this world, that she so colourfully added to, on October 2, 2024, just six days shy of what would have been her 73^rd birthday.

Miyazaki passed away peacefully at Gillis House in Merritt, survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Brian Miyazaki; children Trevor (Karin) and Kenji (Melissa); grandchildren Ethan, Matthias, Emi, Georg and Michelle; as well as sisters Gwen (Dave) and Jeanine (Rick).

Her life leaves a lasting memory for family, friends and the entire hockey community.

“We were lucky to have someone as strong as mom to take us where we needed to go, to play hockey or other sports,” said her son Trevor.

“She spent a lot of time with family, enjoying her grandkids, visiting with them whenever she could. My brother moved to Smithers, so they were travelling a lot. You look back and she lived to take care of us, put us first and foremost and same with her grandkids, making time to be there whenever she could.”

And for that, Miyazaki will never be forgotten. Her volunteer work with BC Hockey will certainly last a lifetime, named a Diamond Stick Award winner last year in a ceremony, she could not attend as she battled cancer.

“I accepted the award on her behalf. She was thrilled, beyond belief when she heard,” said Sherry Wakelin, who has been an integral part of both Lumby Minor Hockey Association and the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association (OMAHA) where she has served in both volunteer and non-volunteer roles. She has also volunteered as a district director on the executive committee with BC Hockey.

“She would have loved to have been there, but her health didn’t allow her to attend. She asked me to accept it and that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” added Wakelin, a close friend of Miyazaki’s.

“It was a special night. It was unfortunate that she wasn’t able to be there,” added Brianna Davey, BC Hockey’s Vice President, Member Services-Minor & Female. “She was the type of person that never wanted anything, never wanted to be recognized and always kept to herself.

“I wish she would have been around to have seen that room, because there wasn’t a single person there who didn’t think she deserved that award.”

Not that Miyazaki ever looked or worked for recognition. Her satisfaction came from working through any issues that may have arised through her work with BC Hockey, OMAHA or Merritt Minor Hockey Association.

“She really enjoyed volunteering, giving back and seeing things develop and get better for different aspects of sport,” said Davey. “Over time you get to a point where I’ve done what I can and you move on to other things. But the registrar position with BC Hockey really gave her a sense of accomplishment, with all these kids growing up and their kids eventually playing hockey. Keeping in touch was a big thing for her.”

Her son Trevor couldn’t remember a time where Miyazaki wasn’t volunteering for associations.

“She was a volunteer for years, from the time we were little; a treasurer for many years then became their head registrar. She transferred to OMAHA and BC Hockey. She volunteered for lots of different things, like the swim club and she was involved community wise with anything to do with recreation in Merritt.

“She spent a number of years with the Booster Club with the Merritt Centennials. She always loved working the concession to support minor hockey and to see all the kids she knew growing up. It was always a sight to see her in the arena, it was like a home away from home for her,” added Trevor, who played  hockey growing up with his brother Kenji.

“Dad was an aircraft engineer, a helicopter engineer/mechanic. He worked overseas a lot. He was always away a lot in the summer with fires, called away for months at a time, so mom was always there.”

For family or for the various associations she was involved with.

“Nonie was the district registrar with OMAHA for around 40 years, she was the type of person that did everything for everyone,” said Davey. “She was a part of Merritt Minor Hockey, and the Merritt Centennials; she was a fixture in hockey in that area and all over the Okanagan.

“Overall, she was just a fantastic person, always willing to work with us with processes we had in place, things that we wanted to change. She brought her opinions forward, which were always fantastic, and then we would try to work through getting the kids on the ice. That was always her main goal, get those kids on the ice.”

And Wakelin said there was no one better.

“I knew her for 14 years working with OMAHA and I got to know her even more because she became a good friend and she was my mentor,” she said. “It’s where I learned a lot of my hockey stuff from. She knew it all.

“She was a phenomenal person, she would do anything for anyone and she still had been working the concession at the Merritt Centennials hockey games. She was involved with sports, the boys played hockey and they swam. She was the one who drove because her husband worked overseas. She was a busy lady.

“She was very dedicated to her job as a volunteer and that takes a very special person,” continued Wakelin. “People used to joke, they used to get paid for it, and she would say, ‘If I’m getting paid for it, it becomes a job and I don’t want to do it.’

“That’s how dedicated she was to that volunteer position and she was like me, we did it for the kids.”

Roy Sakaki, who volunteered as a coach, coach coordinator, referee in chief, and referee assignor with Salmon Arm Minor Hockey Association, also worked with Miyazaki.

“All the years I knew her, she was one of the go-to ladies. I spent my first three years in Merritt,” he said. “She was outstanding, be it with registrations or with district travel. For all the years she did it, she would not take any pay. She would say, ‘Roy, I’m a volunteer and you can’t fire a volunteer.’

“She would help out with transfer requests or any problem that would arise. She loved her kids and grandkids. She was a wonderful, wonderful lady, just a good all-around person. She wasn’t strict, but she was matter-of-fact and she took her volunteer work seriously.”

Miyazaki continued on for more than 40 years, quite an accomplishment.

“She was a fixture far before my time with BC Hockey,” said Davey. “She was committed. Her kids played hockey as well. She was dedicated to supporting them and even her grandkids, up in Smithers, as they started playing.

“She was very dedicated. She was busy, right to the end and always wanted to do whatever she could. She always thought about other people, too. She would bring me little gifts or care packages at Congress, whenever we had our Annual General Meeting. Things she would knit. I still have one on my desk.

“She was definitely that special kind of person,” continued Davey. “When I started with BC Hockey, they said, ‘You have to talk to Nonie at OMAHA, she’ll always give you the right answers for OMAHA.’ She was the pulse for what was going on in that area, for sure.

“She was one of those people you wanted to meet and be around. She was funny and told people what they needed to do, whether they liked it or not. She was stubborn, made them do it and they listened.”

And she will be missed.

“Cancer took her life,” said Trevor. “We found out in March of last year, she wasn’t feeling well. Took her to the hospital. She spent a month in the hospital, tried treatment, but it was too far gone. It  had spread and in October, she passed.”

Now the family, friends and hockey community live on with their memories of Miyazaki.

“We would go camping in the summer time and there was hockey in winter - lots of good memories. We miss her a lot,” said Trevor.

“She called me the week before she died and I think it was her way of saying goodbye,” said Wakelin. “That’s how good of a friendship we had. To say goodbye to me, the way she wanted to and it’s something I will never forget.

“Hockey was a big part of her life. But it was any sport, really - watching livestreams of her kids or grandkids playing hockey. She loved her sports. She was a volunteer, to the core. You can’t find a volunteer dedicated as much as she was, never afraid to get involved.”

Or to express her feelings.

“She was always willing to talk, sometimes our calls would be an hour or an hour and a half. Sometimes it wasn’t all hockey. We would talk business then it would be family,” added Wakelin.

“Family was big for her. She spent as much time as she could with them. She would send me pictures of them playing soccer in the backyard or riding a bike. She always wanted to see more of them playing hockey. She was a special lady.”

Mario Annicchiarico is a freelance writer based in Victoria who has previously covered the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers, as well as the Western Hockey League.